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The other day, I tweaked a script for a friend's World of Warcraft addon. He was surprised that you could edit the addons—that they were "open source." (Word of Warcraft addons are written in the Lua scripting language) I found myself wanting to say "Sure you can—all scripts are 'open source'."
Is that true? Sure, some scripts can be compiled to bytecode, but aren't almost all scripts interpreted? That is to say, doesn't the device interpreting the script need the "source," by definition?
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At the simplest level, open source programming is merely writing code that other people can freely use and modify.
A scripting language is usually interpreted from source code or bytecode. By contrast, the software environment (interpreter) the scripts are written for is typically written in a compiled language and distributed in machine code form.
Open source software is code that is designed to be publicly accessible—anyone can see, modify, and distribute the code as they see fit. Open source software is developed in a decentralized and collaborative way, relying on peer review and community production.
There are many such licenses, but typically software is considered open source if: It is available in source code form without additional cost, meaning users can view the code that comprises the software and make any kind of changes to it they want.
It depends on how you interpret "open source".
Sure, you have the source code, but typically that isn't exactly what Open Source means. Usually open source refers to the licensing. To have something "open source" means that you are free to modify the source for any purpose, including redistributing it in many cases.
Just having the source doesn't make it open source in the general software sense. If the script is copyrighted, then it is technically "closed" except in cases where an Open Source license is explicitly given. You could modify it, but if you redistribute it without the author's permission you are in violation of their implied (or explicitly registered) copyright.
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Open source is about licensing. A script can have any license the author (or copyright holder, such as an employer) wants. So the answer is "no".
It is the case that scripts are typically distributed in the same form that they're written - no compiled format. So you can see the source. That doesn't mean they're open source.
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"Open source" is not the same thing as being able to view the source code; open source licencing is about the legal right to derive works from that source code.
If you take someone else's work, modify and redistribute it without their explicit consent, then you are infringing upon their copyright, and breaking the law.
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